The present embodiments relate to communication within a motor vehicle communication system interacting in an ad-hoc manner.
It is known that radio transmission/radio reception devices for communication within a motor vehicle communication system interacting in an ad-hoc, for example, wireless, manner, are in use for communication between road users among each other. “Interacting in an ad-hoc manner” may be ad-hoc networks (e.g., essentially self-organizing networks formed or operated spontaneously via direct communication of the network nodes involved). In road traffic, this communication may include motor vehicles. Therefore, the communication is referred to as “car to car” (C2C) communication. However, this communication also includes communication with the traffic infrastructure, which is formed, for example, by base stations formed by “roadside units” (RSUs) such as traffic lights, for conveying the communication or broadcasting information to information networks or traffic control centers connected to the traffic light. This is referred to as “car to infrastructure” (C2I) communication. Since road users may include not only vehicles, but also bicycles or bicyclists and pedestrians, this communication also includes the exchange of data between the radio transmission/radio reception devices operated by bicycles or bicyclists and pedestrians and the radio transmission/radio reception devices operated by motor vehicles. There is no term or acronym for bicycles or bicyclists and pedestrians, but bicycles or bicyclists and pedestrians fall under the familiar term for the generalization of this type of communication of “car to X” technology or communication (C2X).
This type of communication is to be distinguished from the known mobile radio communication, since the communication is generally carried out in an automated manner (e.g., predominantly without triggering or required actions by the user) and is used for the purpose of collecting and exchanging traffic-related data, so that it is possible to respond appropriately to all possible traffic situations (e.g., via warnings from the user or automatic responses from the motor vehicle).
For collecting and, for example, for exchanging data, it is known that every motor vehicle transmits a cyclical message that contains a vehicle ID and information about the speed, direction, and position at an interval of a few seconds.
It is known that controllers of intersections are, for example, implemented by RSUs, and the sequence and timing of traffic light cycles change as a function of information that comes from a plurality of sensors that are placed in the ground beneath the streets (e.g., per predefined lane). The information that is detected and reported includes, for example, the vehicle presence, the vehicle direction, and the vehicle speed on a multilane road.
A wide variety of sensors is used in order to enable a precise determination of the position and direction of vehicles that are traveling in a particular lane.
It is also known that the efficiency of the traffic control at an interchange such as a junction or crossing and the like is a function of how rapidly the interchange is traversed by vehicles. Generally, traffic light cycles (e.g., suitable intervals for a red, yellow, and green signal) may influence this. However, despite the use of a wide variety of sensors, the control is currently not optimal. Thus, traffic jams continue to occur.